Automatic gate for railroad-crossings.



P. CASTELLI.

' AUTOMATIC GATE FOR RAILROAD cnossmes.

APPLICATION IILED JUNEZS, 1911.

Patented Nov. 21, 1911.

tnarrnn s'ra'rns Parana UIPFIQE.

PETER CASTELLI, 0F CARNEY, IOWA.

AUTOMATIC GATE r03 RAILROAD-CROSSINGS.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, 'PETER CASTELLI, a

subject of the King of Italy, residing at Car-.

ney, in the county of Polk and State of Iowa, have invented a certain new and useful Automatic Gate for Railroad-Crossings, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to provide a device ofsimple and durable construction which will not easily get out of order, and which is easily and readily repaired, by which the gates where a wagon road crosses a railroad track are automatically lowered by the train as it approaches the crossing, and held down while the train is passing, and are raised when the train has passed.

A further object is to provide means whereby the impact of the train on the mechanism of my device is cushioned so that the force of such impact is gradually applied to the gate arms.

My invention consists in certain details in the construction, arrangement and combination of the various parts of the device, whereby the objects contemplated are attained, as hereinafter set forth, pointed out in my claims and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which F igure 1 shows a side elevation partly in section of a railroad track equipped with my improved automatic safety device. Fig. 2 shows a top or plan view of the same, and Fig. 3 shows a detail sectionalview of the locking mechanism for holding the gates in their raised position.

In the accompanying drawings, I have used the reference numeral 10 to indicate the rails, and the numeral 11 to indicate the ties of a railroad track.

The ballast beneath the track is removed to make room for the mechanism of my device and I preferably provide a boxing or casing for the machinery. Ordinary mast gates 12 made of light material and having short rearward extensions, are pivoted to the upright posts 13 on each side of the track. Between the rails and preferably below the lower level of the ties at a point approximately midway between the gates, is rotatably mounted a horizontal shaft 14;, parallel with the ties. Extending across the track below the rails between the outer ends of the gates, are rotatably mounted horizon- Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed June 26, 1911.

Patented Nov. 21, 1911. Serial No. 635,417.

tal shafts 15 and 16. At suitable distances from the gates 12, up and down the track therefrom at points beneath the track are rotatably mounted horizontal shafts 17 and 17 parallel with the ties 11. Fixed on the shafts 17 and 17' are arms or levers 20 and 20 which extend above and below the shafts 17 and 17 Weights 21 are secured to the lower ends of the arms 20 and 20 to normally hold the same in vertical position. At the upper ends of the arms 20 and 20 are rounded projections 22 designed to be struck by the wheels of a passing train. I provide rods 24: with longitudinal slots 25 near their ends, which slots are slidingly mounted upon lugs 26 on the lower ends of the arms or levers 20 and 20 The other ends of the rods 24.- are pivotally mounted respectively upon the ends of arms 18 and 19 which extend upwardly and downwardly from the shaft 141. I preferably provide turn buckles 27 on the rods 24 for purposes of adjustment. The rods 24 are each made of separate pieces connected by shock absorbers 27 a of any suitable construction designed to cushion the impact of the train on the machinery. The shafts 14, 15, 16 and 17 and 17 a are all mount-ed parallel to the ties. Mounted on the shafts 15 and 16 are upwardly extending arms 28 and 29. A rod 30 is pivotally connected with the arm 29 and the arm 19. A rod 31 is pivotally secured to the arm 18 and the arm 28. The shafts l5 and 16 extend to points outside the track below the rearward extensions of the arms 12 near the posts 13, and secured to said shaft below said arms, are arms similar to and parallel with the arms 28 and 29. Rods 36 are pivotally secured to the rearward extensions of the gate arms 12 and to the ends of the arms last mentioned.

The parts .hereinbefore described are so constructed and arranged that when a train, approaching, for instance, from the left side as the track is shown in the drawings, strikes the upper end 22 of the arm 20, the gate arms 12 are moved from their normal positions to their positions shown in Fig. 1. On account of the construction of the slots 25, the part 22 may be moved toward the gates by a train which has passed the same without affecting the mechanism of my device. For holding the gates in their lowered positions and holding the machinery in position, I have provided the following mechanism. Properly mounted in a suitable position are parallel downwardly extending bracket arms 32 and 33. Centrally pivoted to one of said arms, is a horizontal lever 34. Rods 35 and 35 connect the upper ends of the arms 20 and 20 respectively with the ends of the lever 34. Pivotally mounted on the bracket arm 33 is a downwardly extending arm 40 on the lower end of which is formed a catch member 41. Secured to a suitable support is a contractible coil spring 42 which is also secured to the arm 40 and tends to draw it toward the shaft 14. One end of the lever 34 rests against the arm 40 and tends in one position of its movement to push said arm away from the shaft 40 against the pressure of the spring 42, as shown in Fig. 1. Secured to the shaft 14 is an arm 43, on the end of which is a catch member 44 which coacts with the catch member 41 and engages same when the mast gates are lowered. The catch members 41 and 44 are held in engagement by the spring 42, and while they are in such engagement, the mechanism is locked in its then position. hen the end of the lever 39 pushes the arm 40 away from the arm 43 the catch members are disengaged. For raising the gates after the train has passed, I have mounted a powerful coil spring 37 on the shaft 14 connected with the arm 18 and with the bearing in which said shaft is mounted. For cushioning the effect of the spring 37 when the gate arms are raised I provide an arm 46 extending laterally from the shaft 14. The end of the arm 46 is pivotally connected with a rod 47 which is secured to the piston of a dash pot 48.

In practical operation the gate arms are normally in their raised position while the arms 20 and 20 are normally held in vertical position by the weight 21. As the train approaches, the flanges of the wheels strike the part 22. When the upper end of the arm 20 is moved toward the gates, the lower end thereof draws the rod 24 away from the shaft 14, and moves the arms 18 and 19 in a direction such as to turn the rods 30 and 31 and to move the arms 28 and 29 longitudinally and to rotate the shafts 15 and 16. By the rotation of the shafts 15 and 16, the arms on the outer ends of said shafts, and the arms 36 are drawn upwardly thus lowering the raised ends of the gate members 12 to a horizontal position. When the train passes over the part 22, the action of the rods 24 and the arms 18 and 19 rotates the shaft 14 and moves the arm 43 from its normal position which is below the arm 40, upwardly till the catch members 41 and 44 are drawn into engagement with each other. They are held in such engagement by the contraction of the spring 42.

\Vhen the train strikes the other part 22 the arm 35 or 35 as the case may be, pushes the lever 34 against the arm 40 and disengages the locking device. The action of the spring 37 then raises the gate arms 12. The action of the dash pot 39 is such however as to cushion the effect of said spring 37. The shafts 17 and 17 may be placed as far from the crossing as is desired. Signaling devices to announce the approach of the train may be used with my device.

It will be seen that many changes may be made in details of construction and in the location and arrangement of parts'without affecting the essential purpose or working of my device.

My improved device for automatically controlling gates at railroad crossings, has the advantage of being operated by the very train which causes the danger at the crossing. The approaching train sets in motion the mechanism which lowers the gates and holds them in position to prevent persons or animals from coming upon the track until the train has passed. The impact of the train upon the mechanism is cushioned by means of the shock absorbers 27*, thus obviating one of the chief objections to most devices of this kind.

I claim as my invention:

1. A device for automatically raising and lowering the gates at a railroad crossing, comprising mast gates pivotally mounted above the surface of the ground, means whereby yielding pressure is exerted to hold said gates in their raised position and to raise the same when they are lowered, means whereby an approaching train lowers said gates, means whereby said gates are locked in their lowered position while a train is passing, means whereby said locking'mechanism is released when a train has passed the gates, retarding means for regulating the means for raising the gates, and means for cushioning the impact of the train on the machinery of the device.

2. In a device of the class described, designed for use where a wagon road crosses a railroad track, upright posts set in pairs on opposite sides of the railroad track, ordinary mast gates constructed with rearward extensions, pivotally secured to said upright posts, horizontal shafts extending across the track between the rear ends of said mast gates rotatably mounted beneath the railroad track, levers secured to said shafts at their outer ends, rods pivotally secured to said levers and to the rearward extensions of said mast gates, a central horizontal transverse shaft rotatably mounted beneath the railroad track at a point substantially midway between the pairs of u right posts, arms upon said first named sliafts, levers upon said central shaft extending upwardly and downwardly therefrom, rods pivotally mounted on said last named levers and on the respective arms on said first named shafts, transverse horizontal shafts rotatably mounted beneath the railroad tracks spaced apart from said first named shafts on the sides thereof away from the gates, normally vertical arms centrally mounted on said last named shafts, rods pivotally secured to the lower ends of said last named arms as described below and to the levers on said central shaft whereby rotary motion of said last described shafts is imparted to said central shaft, said rods being constructed with longitudinal slots which are pivotally mounted on said last described arms, shock absorbers on said last named rods, weights upon the lower ends of said last described arms designed to hold said arms in their vertical position, rounded projections upon the upper ends of said last named arms located in a position where they are struck by the flanges on the wheels of a passing train, and means for exerting yielding pressure upon said central shaft to rotate it in a direction to raise the gates.

3. In a device of the class described, designed for use where a wagon road crosses a railroad track, upright posts set in pairs on opposite sides of the railroad track, ordinary mast gates constructed with rearward extensions, pivotally secured to said upright posts, horizontal shafts extending across the track between the rear ends of said mast gates rotatably mounted beneath the railroad track, levers secured to said shafts at their outer ends, rods pivotally secured to said levers and to the rearward extension of said mast gates, a central horizontal transverse shaft rotatably mounted beneath the railroad track at a point substantially midway between the pairs of upright posts, arms upon said first named shafts, levers upon said central shaft extending upwardly and downwardly therefrom, rods pivotally mounted on said last named levers and on the respective arms on said first named shafts, transverse horizontal shafts rotatably mounted beneath the railroad track spaced apart from said first named shafts on the sides thereof away from the gates, normally vertical arms centrally mounted on said last named shafts, rods pivotally secured to the lower ends of said last named arms as described below and to the levers I on said central shaft whereby rotary motion of said last described shafts is imparted to said central shaft, said rods being constructed with longitudinal slots which are pivotally mounted on said last described arms, shock absorbers on said last named rods, weights upon the lower ends of said last described arms designed to hold said arms in their vertical position, rounded projections upon the upper ends of said last named arms located in a position where they are struck by the flanges on the Wheels of a passing train, a lever centrally and pivotally mounted near the said central shaft, rods connecting the ends of said lever with the respective ends of said last described arms, an arm pivotally mounted near said last named lever so that the movement of said lever in one direction moves said arm, a catch member formed on the end of said last named arm, an arm on said central shaft having a catch member formed on its free end designed to engage and coact with said first catch member when said mast gates are lowered, a coil spring designed to hold said catch members in engagement with each other, and means for exerting yielding pressure on said central shaft to rotate it in the direction necessary to raise said gates.

4. In a device of the class described, designed for use where a wagon road crosses a railroad track, upright posts set in pairs on opposite sides of a railroad track, ordinary mast gate arms constructed with rearward extensions, pivotally secured to said upright posts, horizontal shafts extending across the track between the rear ends of said gate arms rotatably mounted beneath the railroad track, means whereby the rotation of said shafts raises and lowers said gate arms, a central horizontal transverse shaft rotatably mounted beneath the railroad track at a point substantially midway between said pairs of upright posts, arms upon said first named shafts, levers upon said central shaft extending upwardly and downwardly therefrom, rods pivotally secured to said levers and to the respective arms on said first named shafts, transverse horizontal shafts rotatably mounted beneath the railroad tracks spaced apart from said first named shafts on the sides thereof away from the gates, arms centrally mounted on said last named shafts, extending upwardly and downwardly therefrom, rods pivotally mounted on the respective lower ends of said last named arms in the manner hereinafter described and on the levers on said central shaft whereby rotary motion of said last named shafts is imparted to said central shaft, said rods being constructed with longitudinal slots whereby said rods are mounted on said last described arms so that when the said arms are moved in one direction they move said rods longitudinally and when moved in the other direction they slide in said slots without moving said rods, weights upon the lower ends of said last named arms designed to hold said arms normally in their vertical position, rounded projections upon the upper ends of said last named arms located in a position where they are struck by the wheels of a passing train, a coil spring mounted on said central shaft and connected at one end therewith and at the other end with a suitable support, said spring being designed to exert Vielding being designed to retard the ection of said pressure to raise the gate arms when they coil spring. I

are in their lowered position an arm extending upwardly from said cent-ral shaft, PETER GASTELLI' a dash pot, an arm pivotally connected with Witnesses:

said last named arm and connected with W. A. LoFTUs,

the piston of said dash pot, said dash pot W. P. BAIR.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Yatents, Washington, D. C. 

